Special Education Policy and Practice: Accountability, Instruction, and Social Challenges

This is an excellent book that addresses the policy shift in special education from procedural compliance to standards-based accountability and the changing conditions of practice under reform. It covers the major problems of implementing reform and presents several practices and models to improve the conditions of special education practice.

The authors support a collaborative environment for service delivery and inclusive work atmospheres with research-based instructional practices. The book gives prevention and intervention strategies including specific reading, writing, and mathematics instructional techniques. Other topics include transition, self-determination, school violence, health needs, and literacy instruction for Latino students.

The focus in the last part of the book is oriented to human needs and opportunities that will shape special education practice in the future including individual and environmental conditions. These include welfare of children working across social contexts and providing a planning framework for achieving integrated services.